World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
John Elwood Gay
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Spokane, Washington
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
November 1939, assigned to the 116th Observation Squadron, Washington National Guard at Felts Field near Spokane, Washington. GENERAL ORDERS NO. 19: Executive Orders Number 8530; 116th Observation Squadron WAS mobilized into active Federal service effective 16 September 1940. 116th Observation Squadron subsequently moved to active duty at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, where it made anti-submarine patrol flights along the coast. Pilot and 883rd Bomb Squadron Operations Officer, flew as Mission Observer, take-off from Saipan was approximately 1730 hours on the afternoon of 7 March 1945 on Weather Strike Mission #264 to the vicinity of Kure Naval Base near Hiroshima, aboard B-29 Superfortress, nicknamed Su Su Baby, serial #42-24721 (Z-Square-46), 883rd Bomb Squadron, 500th Bombardment Group (VH), 73rd Bomb Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force, stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands. At approximately 0730 hrs on 8 March 1945, Killed in Action, Z-SQ-46 suffered fuel starvation, ditched in the Pacific Ocean about 120 miles north of Saipan.